The top ten deepest mines in the world - Mining Technology Vale's Creighton Mine in Canada is the world's deepest nickel mine. The top ten deepest mines in the world Eight of the ten deepest mines in the world reside in a particular region of South Africa, while the remaining two - Kidd Creek and Creighton - are both located in Ontario, Canada. Mining-technology.com profiles the top ten deepest mines in the world. Mponeng Gold Mine AngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng gold mine, located south-west of Johannesburg in South Africa, is currently the deepest mine in the world. The operating depth at Mponeng mine ranged from between 2.4km to more than 3.9km below the surface by the end of 2012. Ongoing expansions have resulted in deeper digging at Mponeng, pushing the record to beyond the four kilometre mark. The ore reserve at Mponeng stood at 13.7 million ounces (Moz) as of December 2012. The mine produced 405,000oz of gold in 2012. It is currently undergoing expansion to extend the mine life beyond 2040.

Mponeng extracts the Ventersdorp Contact Reef (VCR) of the West Wits region of South Africa. The deep underground mine employs a sequential grid mining method. The shaft-sinking process at Mponeng began in 1981. The gold plant complex and the shafts were commissioned in 1986. TauTona Gold Mine TauTona, AngloGold Ashanti's gold mine in the West Wits region of South Africa, ranks as the second deepest mine in the world. Although mining at TauTona currently takes place at depths ranging from between 1.85km to 3.45km, its mining depth was extended to 3.9km underground with the addition of a secondary shaft in 2008. TauTona mining operations began in 1962 with the construction of 800km of tunnels. The mine is currently operated with three shafts. AngloGold Ashanti started changing the mining method at TauTona from longwall to scattered-grid mining in 2007. TauTona's mine life is expected to end in 2015.

It produced 189,000oz of gold in 2012. The estimated ore reserve stood at 1.713Moz as of December 2012. Savuka Gold Mine Savuka gold mine, also located in the West Wits region of South Africa and operated by AngloGold Ashanti, is the third deepest mine in the world. The mine exploits the gold contained reefs at a depth of more than 3.7km. The mining method at Savuka was recently converted from longwall to sequential grid mining. Savuka shares a common processing plant with the TauTona mine. The shafts and infrastructure at Savuka were damaged by a seismic event in 2008. The mining operations were, however, completely restored in 2011. Savuka produced 37,000oz of gold in 2012. The mine was left with 0.56 million oz of gold reserves by the end of that year. AngloGold Ashanti is considering incorporating Savuka into the neighbouring TauTona for accessing the remaining resources of Savuka.

Driefontein Mine The Driefontein mine, owned by Gold Fields, is located near Carletonville in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The mine lies within the West Wits Line Goldfield of the Witwatersrand Basin. It is currently the fourth deepest mine in the world with its depth extended up to 3.4km. The Driefontein mine operation could be traced back to 1952. The mine consists of eight producing shaft systems extracting ore from three reefs, namely Ventersdorp Contact Reef (VCR), Carbon Leader Reef (CLR) and the Middelvlei Reef. Driefontein uses a combination of longwall and scattered mining methods. The mine produced 709,800oz of gold during 2010. The mine site includes three metallurgical plants, along with a recovery plant for ore processing. The estimated ore reserve at Driefontein as of December 2012 was 4.369Moz.

Kusasalethu Gold Mine The Kusasalethu gold mine operated by Harmony is located 75km west of Johannesburg, on the West Wits Line near Carletonville, Gauteng, in South Africa. It is currently the fifth deepest mine in the world as it exploits the Ventersdorp Contact Reef (VCR) up to a depth of 3,276m below the surface. Kusasalethu was formerly known as Elandskraal gold mine. Elandskraal, which started operation in 1978, was comprised of two mines namely Elandsrand and Deelkraal. The Kusasalethu operation comprises of twin vertical and twin sub-vertical shaft systems. The mine employs conventional mining methods in a sequential grid layout. The extracted ore is processed at the nearby Kusasalethu plant. The Kusasalethu mine contained a proven reserve of 2.7Moz of gold grading 0.208oz/t and a probable reserve of 4.4Moz of gold grading 0.172oz/t as of December 2012.

The mine produced 181,105oz of gold grading 0.137oz/t in 2012. A total of 5,237 employees and 979 contractors were engaged in the mining operation during the same year. Related Suppliers: Locomotives and Rail Systems Moab Khotsong Gold Mine Moab Khotsong gold mine is one of AngloGold Ashanti's Vaal River operations in the South Africa. The mine is located around 180km south-west of Johannesburg near the towns of Orkney and Klerksdorp. The mine is in production since 2003. It currently ranks as the sixth deepest mine in the world, with its mining depth ranging between 2.6km and 3.054km below surface. The mine exploits the Vaal Reef (VR) through three mining layers, namely the Top, Middle and Lower Mines. Moab Khotsong employs a scattered mining method with an integrated backfill support system. The mine produced 162,000 ounces of gold grading 0.238oz/t in 2012.

The ore reserve stood at 6.61Moz grading 10.02g/t as of December 2012. AngloGold Ashanti engaged 19 underground drilling machines at Moab Khotsong in 2012, to increase the mineral resource base and extend the mine's life up to 2040. South Deep Gold Mine The South Deep gold mine, owned and operated by Gold Fields, is the seventh deepest mine in the world. The South African gold mine extends up to 2,995m below surface. The mine, covering an area of 4,268ha, is located 45km south-west of Johannesburg. The deep underground mine comprises of two shaft systems known as the South Shaft complex and the Twin Shaft complex. The mine switched from conventional mining to fully mechanised mining in 2008. The extracted ore is processed at a central metallurgical plant. The managed mineral reserve at South Deep as of December 2012 was estimated to be 39.1Moz. The mine produced 270,000oz of gold in 2012.

It is undergoing a major development project to increase its annual production to about 700,000oz by 2016. The mine life of South Deep is expected to be extended up to 2092. Kidd Creek Copper and Zinc Mine The Kidd Creek copper / zinc mine, located 27km north of Timmins in Ontario, Canada, is the eighth deepest mine and the deepest base metal mine in the world. The mining depth at Kidd Creek extends up to 2,927m beneath the surface. The mine is owned and operated by Xstrata, which acquired it from Falconbridge in 2006. Kidd Creek was discovered in 1963 and witnessed the start of open pit operation in 1966. Underground production started in 1972. The mine is operated with three shafts. The mining method used is blasthole stoping with cemented backfill. The ore is sent to the Kidd Creek Metallurgical Division at Hoyle, located 27km south-east of the mine for processing. The mine produces more than 7,000t a day.

A $111m extension project called Mine D Phase 2 was completed in December 2011, which is expected to extend the mine's life up to 2018. The Mine D project extended Kidd Creek below the shaft No 3. Great Noligwa Gold Mine Great Noligwa gold mine operated by AngloGold Ashanti in the Vaal River region of South Africa is located 15km southeast of the town of Orkney. It currently ranks as the ninth deepest mine in the world. The average mining depth of Great Noligwa is 2.4km below surface and the maximum mining depth is 2.6km below surface. The mine primarily exploits the Vaal Reef (VR) with a twin shaft system. The Crystalkop Reef (CR) comprises the secondary economic horizon for the mine. The mining method employed at Great Noligwa is pillar mining. The proven and probable reserve of Great Noligwa as of December 2012 stood at 390,000oz of gold grading 8.75g/t.

The mine produced 84,000oz of gold in 2012 employing 2,985 permanent employees and 78 contractors. Creighton Mine Creighton, an underground nickel mine located in the City of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, is the tenth deepest mine in the world. It is also the world's deepest nickel mine, with its mining depth extending up to 2.5km. The mine is owned and operated by Vale. The mine was discovered in 1991. The first production from the Creighton open pit started in 1901. Underground operation commenced in 1906. Current mining methods include shrinkage mining and mechanised undercut-and-fill mining. The large-diameter blasthole method combined with vertical retreat mining has also been introduced recently. Extracted ore is crushed underground and sent by rail to the Clarabelle Mill for processing. The mine produced 797,000t of ore grading 1.80% copper and 1.84% nickel in 2012. Exploration drilling carried out at Creighton in 2007 confirmed mineralisation at depth.

The Creighton Deep exploration Project is believed to have almost doubled the proven and probable reserve to 32Mt grading 1.9% to 2.2% nickel and two percent to 2.3% copper. Related content Terrifying Facts About the World's Deepest Gold Mine Terrifying Facts About the World's Deepest Gold Mine Go to permalink Oh, the things humans will do to get their grubby hands on gold—a metal mostly prized for its ornamental use, hoarded in bank vaults and jewelry boxes, though we've arbitrarily decided it's worth, uh, its weight in gold.* The deepest gold mine in the world is Mponeng, a 2.5-mile hole in the ground in South Africa. A whole underground city—lightless and lawless—lives inside the mine. Journalist Matthew Hart, author of Gold: The Race for the World's Most Seductive Metal , recently spoke to NPR about his own visit to the South African gold mine. Here are some of the most fascinating Buy now The mine is as deep as 10 Empire State Buildings , and its 236 miles of tunnels are longer than the New York subway.

Every day, 4,000 workers descend into the mine through elevators—or, as they're called in mining parlance, cages. These triple-decked cages fit 120 people at a time, and the first 1.6-mile shaft takes only 6 minutes to descend. A second shaft takes workers deeper down, and the last part is only accessible by foot or vehicle. The whole, mind-bogglingly huge structure mines a seam of ore only 30 inches wide. Seriously: the depths humans will do to get to their hands on gold. The rock is so hot underground that ice has to be pumped down to cool the tunnels. Because temperatures increase the closer we get to the earth's core, the rock faces in the mine can get as hot as 140º F. "You can imagine what it's like to crawl into a cavity there," Hart said to NPR. "It's like crawling into a pizza oven." Advertisement Advertisement To keep those super-temperatures from becoming deadly, an ice-slurry mixed with salt is pumped down from the surface; huge fans then blow air over the ice, forming a controlled cold-air system within the mine—its own internal weather system.

The above-ground ice-making plant goes through 6,000 tons of ice a day. Ultimately, this means that many tunnels can be kept at an almost bearable 85 degrees. Illegal "ghost" miners live, eat, and even visit prostitutes right in the mines. At least 10% of the gold in South African mines is stolen. Criminal syndicates help illegal "ghost" miners sneak into the mineshaft, where they then hide out for months at a time, turning ghostly from the lack of sunlight. Security guards also tend to let these ghost miners be: the illegal miners are often armed with AK-47s and beer bottle grenades , and it's all too easy to hear someone coming from far off in the mine. The mine is so big, it's difficult to police anyways. There's also a whole, well, underground economy where legal miners help out their illegal brethren. Since bread, for example, costs twelve time as much in the illegal economy, packing some extra lunch can get you much more than lunch money. Gold is so expensive, the mine only needs to extract 0.35 ounces from a ton of rock to be profitable.

Mponeng excavates 6,000 tons of rock per day . You do the math. The world's loneliest ecosystem was discovered in Mponeng. The rod-shaped bacterium Desulforudis audaxviator lives alone in the dark, hot waters of Mponeng; it is the sole member of the only single-species ecosystem discovered. All life forms need basic nutrients like carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and, usually, different bacteria pull different nutrients from the environment to form an ecosystem. But D. audaxviator is self-reliant, capable of producing everything itself. Scientists think the bacterium has not seen the surface of the earth in millions of years. Sponsored Bacteria that live in remote places like the depths of the Mponeng mine are called extremophiles for their ability to withstand seemingly impossible conditions. When motivated by money—out of greed or basic economic necessity—humans can do the same, it seems. [ National Public Radio via Nature ] *Update: This article originally called gold "mostly useless," which was a reference to the fact that most gold is not used at all except for in cases of personal ornamentation or financial investment.

Approximately 12% of the world's gold stocks are used in electronics and industry. Advertisement Depth of the Deepest Mine - The Physics Factbook Depth of the Deepest Mine Result Hart-Davis, Adam. Deepest Mine . BBC and Open University, 2002. "The deepest mine in this region (Witwatersrand) is currently Western Deep mine, a network of tunnels which penetrates 3.5 km into the Earth's crust." 3500 m Structure of the Earth . Geography Exchange, 7 March 2003. "The deepest mine in the world is only 3.3 km deep, and nobody has ever been able to drill down further than 15 km." 3300 m "The deepest mine is a gold mine in South Africa; in 1977 the Western Deep Levels reached a depth of 3,581 meters. 3581 m Lotsberg, Gunnar. Mines . The Worlds Longest Tunnel Page, 2003. "It has the world's deepest mine, 3585 m below surface at the East Rand mine." 3585 m Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.

Environmental Science. 1996: pg 210 - Figure 8.17. "This open-pit copper mine in Bingham, Utah is wider than 35 football fields and more than twice as deep as the Empire State Building." 896 m Several types of mines can be found around the world. Mines that might be considered the world's deepest are either open-pit or vertical shaft mines. Vertical shaft mines hold the record for being the deepest mines in the world. Most are located in South Africa due to its abundance of diamond and gold deposits. As of 2003 the deepest mine is the East Rand mine at 3585 meters, but as technology improves and the search for natural resources continues many mines are constantly being deepened. In the next few years, the Western Deep mine will reach 5 km. Many problems arise when digging so deep into the Earth. The most obvious is the heat. For example, at 5 km the temperature reaches 70 degrees Celsius and therefore massive cooling equipment is needed to allow workers to survive at such depths. Another problem is the weight of the rock.

For example, at 3.5 km the pressure of rocks above you is 9,500 tones per meter squared, or about 920 times normal atmospheric pressure. When rock is removed through mining this pressure triples in the surrounding rock. This effect coupled with the cooling of the rock causes a phenomenon known as rock bursts, which accounts for many of the 250 deaths in South African mines every year. Yefim Cavalier -- 2003 Top 10 deep open-pit mines - Mining Technology Aitik open pit mine in northern Sweden is currently 430m deep. Top 10 deep open-pit mines The deepest open pit mines are scattered geographically across the world unlike the deepest underground mines, which are mostly concentrated in South Africa. The majority of the deepest open pit operations in the world are copper producing mines. Mining-technology profiles the world's top ten deepest open pit mines currently active. Bingham Canyon mine located south-west of Salt Lake City, Utah, US, is the deepest open pit mine in the world. The Bingham Canyon pit is more than 1.2km deep and approximately four kilometres wide.

The mine, which is owned and operated by Rio Tinto Kennecott, has been in production since 1906. Also known as the Kennecott Copper Mine, Bingham Canyon produced about 179,317t of copper, 279,200 ounces of gold, 2.4 million ounces (Moz) of silver and 20 million pounds (Mlbs) of molybdenum in 2012. The recoverable reserves at the open-pit exceeded 2.9Mt of copper, 2.8Moz of gold, 31Moz of silver and 240,000t of molybdenum as of December 2012. Chuquicamata Chuquicamata copper mine, situated 1,650km north of Santiago, Chile, is the second deepest open-pit mine in the world. Chuquicamata, also known as the Chuqui open pit, is 4.3km long, three kilometres wide and more than 850m deep. Chuquicamata copper mine has been in operation for more than a century.

The mine is owned and operated by the Chilean state enterprise Codelco. The open-pit mine produced 443,000t of copper in 2011. Feasibility study is underway to switch to underground production at Chuquicamata by the end of 2018. The ore reserve under the existing pit is estimated to be 1.7 billion tonnes grading at 0.7% copper. The underground development project is estimated to cost more than $4bn. Escondida Escondida copper mine located in the Atacama Desert, Chile, ranks as the third deepest open-pit operation. Escondida copper mining operation consists of two open-pit mines, namely Escondida pit and Escondida Norte pit. The Escondida pit is 3.9km long, 2.7km wide and 645m deep. The Escondida Norte pit is 525m deep. BHP Billiton is the operator of the mine with 57.5% interest. Rio Tinto holds 30% stake in the mine. Escondida is currently the world's largest copper producing mine.

It produced 1.1Mt of copper in the financial year ending June 2013, which accounts for about five percent of global copper production. Escondida's recoverable copper reserve was estimated to be more than 32.6Mt as of December 2012. Udachny Udachny diamond mine located in the Eastern-Siberian Region of Russia is currently the fourth deepest open pit mine in the world. The Udachny pit is currently 630m deep. Mining at the Udachnaya kimberlite pipe has been going on since 1971. The Udachny mine is owned and operated by Russia's state-owned company Alrosa. The mine produced ten million carats of diamond per year until 2011. The probable contained diamond reserve at the open-pit was estimated to be 4.4 million carats as of July 2013. The Udachny open pit operation is scheduled to close in 2014 with the opening of Udachny underground mine which is under construction. The contained diamond reserves for Udachny underground mining are estimated to be more than 108 million carats.

Muruntau Muruntau mine in Uzbekistan, physically one of the largest open pit gold mines in the world, ranks as the fifth deepest open pit. The Muruntau open pit is 3.5km long and three kilometres wide. The depth of the mine has reached just more than 600m. Muruntau was discovered in 1958. Mining operations started in 1967. Uzbekistan's Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combinant own and operate the mine. The final pit depth under the current mine plan is reported to be 650m, after which the mine will switch to underground operation. Muruntau's contained gold reserves and resource including the historical production is reportedly estimated at 170Moz. The mine is known for its production capacity of about 2Moz of gold per year with averaging ore grade of 2.4g/t gold. Fimiston Open Pit (Super Pit) The Fimiston Open pit, also known as the Super Pit, located on south-east edge of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, is the sixth deepest open-pit mine in the world.

The gold producing open pit mine is 3.8km long, 1.5km wide and up to 600m deep. The mine is owned and operated by Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM), a 50-50 joint venture company comprised of Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining. The mine produced 296,000oz of gold during the first half of 2013. The proven and probable reserves at Filmiston open pit as of December 2012 was estimated to be more than 8Moz. Grasberg Grasberg mine located in the Papua province of Indonesia currently ranks as the world's seventh deepest open pit operation. The miming operation at Grasberg consists of both open pit and underground mines. The Grasberg open pit is more than 550m deep. Grasberg is the largest gold mine in the world. The mine also produces copper and silver. The Grasberg open pit operation started in 1990 and expected to continue up to 2016.

The mine is operated by Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), a subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX) which owns 90.64% of the Grasberg mining operation. The mine produced 862,000 ounces of gold and 695Mlbs of copper in 2012. The proven and probable ore reserve at Grasberg (open pit + underground) as of December 2012 was estimated at 2.424Mt grading 0.83g/t gold, 4.24g/t silver and one percent copper. Betze-post Betze-post pit, a part of Barrick Gold's Goldstrike operation located on the Carlin Trend, Nevada, US, is the eighth deepest open pit mine in the world. The gold producing open-pit is about 2.2km long and 1.5km wide. The depth of the pit is well above 500m. Betze-Post is a truck-and-shovel operation. Large electric shovels are used for the open-pit mining.

Goldstrike operation also includes Meikle and Rodeo underground mines located just north of the Betze-Post pit. The total production from Goldstrike operation during the first half of 2013 was 417,000oz. The contained gold reserve at the Goldstrike open-pit as of December 2012 was estimated to be 8.93Moz (5.34Moz proven and 3.59Moz probable). Nanfen iron mine Nanfen open pit iron mine, located in Nanfen district of the Liaoning province, China, is approximately 500m deep. It is one of the largest open-pit metal mines in China. Nanfen open pit mine is owned and operated by Benxi Iron and Steel Corporation (Benxi Steel). The mine produced more than 100 million tonnes of iron ore in 2011. It was the maximum iron ore output by a single Chinese mine per year. A plan for starting underground mining operation at Nanfen has been underway since 2011 as maintaining the mine slope stability is becoming difficult with the gradual increase of the pit's depth.

Aitik Aitik open pit mine located about 60km north of the Arctic Circle in Northern Sweden is currently 430m deep. The open pit is expected to reach a final depth of 600m. Aitik is the largest copper mine in Sweden. The mine also produces silver and gold. The Aitik mine was discovered in 1930. The open pit mine is owned and operated by Boliden. Production from the mine started in 1968 with a modest production rate of two million tonnes of copper ore a year. The mine produced 34.3 million tonnes of ore in 2012. The mineral output during the year included 270,000t of concentrate, 67,100t of copper, 51.7t of silver and 1.9t of gold.

Related content SA one of the world’s most violent, strike-prone countries SA one of the world’s most violent, strike-prone countries Name & Surname SAVE THIS ARTICLE EMAIL THIS ARTICLE Font size: - + South Africa has one of the highest rates of industrial action, with its strikes among the most violent in the world, Bowman Gilfillan consultant and employment and alternative dispute resolution specialist John Brand said on Wednesday. In 2012, the country had recorded a loss of 17-million working hours – 16-million of these in the mining sector – as a result of 99 strikes, 45 of which were unprotected. Advertisement Between 2007 and 2011, the country had experienced an average of 65 strikes a year. “The number of work stoppages [is] show[ing] a steady increase,” he said on Wednesday at the twenty-seventh Labour Law Conference being held in Sandton. Although the results of strike action monitoring in 2013 had not yet been published by the Department of Labour, it was likely that there would be a significant uptick in the number of strikes and their impact, he commented.

Detailing an international standard of measuring the number of working days lost owing to industrial action per 1 000 employees, Brand said Denmark, France and Belgium registered the highest rate of work stoppages, with a respective 159.4, 132 and 78.9 yearly average days lost between 2005 and 2009. The global yearly average for the same period was 30.6 average days. However, for every 1 000 working South Africans, from the period 2006 to 2011, about 507 working days were lost a year due to strikes. Chamber of Mines president Mike Teke disputed the claim that South Africa had the highest number of strike incidents in the world, but acknowledged that the nation was facing an increasing number of strikes and conceded that the rising number of unprotected strikes were of concern. The duration of the strikes was also lengthening, leading to greater impacts on companies and employees.

In 2012, at Marikana, where 45 people were killed and hundreds injured during a wage-related strike at Lonmin, a misconception that all the workers received a 22% hike in wages had spurred strike action across the mining sector, particularly the gold and coal sectors, said Brand. The aggregate losses to the mining industry had reached R15.3-billion, with a R12.5-billion reduction in export revenue. The wages lost in 2012, however, were “absolutely enormous”, with workers losing nearly R7-billion in wages during the various strikes, compared with the R1-billion recorded in 2011. The workers at Lonmin had only received a 7.7% hike in some cases and 9 000 workers had not gained anything after losing 12% of their annual wages. Strikes throughout the labour-dispute prone year had also cost 3.5-million lost working days, involving 241 391 employees – a rise on the 2.8-million lost working days, involving 203 138 employees, reported in 2011.

By 2013, all hopes that the turbulent 2012 labour environment was just a “bleep” on the screen were lost when 5.2-million working days were lost owing to continued strike action. The first half of 2014, which was overshadowed by a five-month strike in the platinum sector, registered 7.5-million lost working days and a R23-billion revenue loss for Anglo American Platinum, Lonmin and Impala Platinum, with workers losing 47%, or R10-billion, of their yearly wages. Now large-scale retrenchments were expected, with those still working only expected to start recouping losses in three years’ time. Teke said the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union- (AMCU-) led strike that had brought South Africa to the brink of a recession “should not have happened”. The consensus was that South Africa would “narrowly miss” a recession, with growth recovering to 1.1% in the second quarter, after a 2.2 percentage point contraction in the first quarter, before quickening to 2.5% and 3% in the subsequent quarters to average 1.9% for the year.

The gamed was changing, Teke said, with AMCU challenging the status quo, which had had a ripple affect into the metals and engineering sector. The month-long National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa- (Numsa-) led strike, which followed closely on the heels of the mining strike, resulted in workers losing 8% of their yearly wages, and receiving “at best a 2% hike”, Brand commented. “They could have received the same deal without the strike.” However, of concern was the “shocking”, increasingly violent nature of the industrial action, during which the strikers were armed, while the police mostly remained passive. During the first two weeks of the Numsa strike, 246 cases of intimidation were reported, along with 50 violent “incidents” and 85 records of vandalism. And the longer the strike continued, the more violent it became. Brand suggested developing a specialised industrial protection unit within the South African Police Service to counter criminal conduct during strike action. Despite recordings, images and witnesses, strike-related violence often failed to result in prosecution.

He also recommended, besides many others potential laws and regulations to mitigate the strike action, the establishment of an independent institute to educate and train social partners to enable an awareness of their rights, obligations and responsibilities, the importance of modern, interest-based, mutually-gainful, good faith negotiations and risk analysis skills. The much union-opposed secret, but independent, strike ballot was also an option and would have a huge impact of the mitigation of strike-related violence, he added. South Africa was facing a bigger problem than just strike action, with Brand suggesting it was an outlet for citizens’ and workers’ frustration at continued poor service delivery and hard living conditions. Teke said that the mining companies were undertaking “a lot” of initiatives and injecting hundreds of millions of rands to ensure the wellbeing of their workers, but the challenges were too big for a company to face alone. “We need to get to the underlying causes of the strike action and start building synergies with what we need economically and what labour needed and create a balance,” Teke stated. Should the nation fail to synergise, South Africa’s credibility and investor confidence would remain at risk, with potential downgrades, while a trust deficit among stakeholders would widen.

The implementation of the National Development Plan was now the greatest opportunity for all stakeholders to work together to accelerate meeting South Africa’s challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality, he concluded. Edited by: Creamer Media Reporter Top 10 Gold Producing Countries In The World - Financesonline.com Top 10 Gold Producing Countries In The World Dec 11, 2013 Martin Glover All that glitters is not gold, but fear not: there’s plenty of gold to go around. Much of the wealth is distributed unevenly, however, and gold production varies widely among different nations. From relative unknowns like Uzbekistan to long-time champs South Africa, gold production of dozens of tons per year is not unheard of in the most gold-rich nations. This sample of gold producers starts at number ten, Uzbekistan, until the surprise grand champion nation which produces almost four times as much. 10. Uzbekistan – 90,000 kilograms Uzbekistan is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s short on precious resources (though they might have a tougher time shipping them!).

Coming in at number 10 on our top ten biggest gold producing countries in the world is Uzbekistan, producing 90,000 kg of gold per year. Much of the country’s gold is nationalized, and owned by Navoi Mining and Metallurgial Combinant mine. While Uzbekistan is at the bottom of our top ten list, it does boast the biggest open-pit mine in the world, which is the Murutau mine. Gold isn’t the only precious resource that Uzbekistan is known for. It also boasts impressive reserves of copper, molybdenum, silver, and uranium. 9. Indonesia – 100,000 kilograms While Uzbekistan claims the largest open-pit mine in the world, the record for the largest gold mine on the planet, belonging to Indonesia, is Grasberg. This mine employs 19,000 workers. Unfortunately, it’s also considered one of the world’s most toxic locations. This mine releases 1,000 tons of mercury into the atmosphere every year, in addition to producing 100,000 kilograms of gold.

In fact, the people who live near this mine consume fish that contain twice the recommended amount of mercury, meaning that it’s an extremely unhealthy process for the people of the area. 8. Ghana – 100,000 kilograms Once known as the Gold Coast for the abundance of metals, Ghana produced 100 tons of gold in 2011, though its supplies are diminishing as there are only an estimated 1,400 tons in reserve. Ghana’s gold mining industry makes up 5% of the country’s GDP, and minerals are 37% of the nations exports. Ghana is second on the list of largest gold producing countries in Africa, behind South Africa. 7. Canada – 110,000 kilograms Oh Canada, land of snow, oil, and precious metals. The majority of Canada’s gold is from Ontario, specifically Red Lake gold mine. Canada is so patriotic about its gold, in fact, that if you have a few hundred dollars laying around, you can get yourself a Canadian gold coin for several hundred dollars! Get them while you can, because the Canadian gold mines are among the smallest in the top ten list of highest gold producing countries.

Read more: The Forbes List of Billionaires is Lacking Women 6. Peru – 150,000 kilograms Peru is the largest producing gold country in Latin America, and only second in the Americas to the United States. While the country is bringing in some certain money from gold profits, the price of gold mining has negative impacts on the environment. Mining in Peru has increased by 400% in the past decade, which means that a huge toll has been taken on the Peruvian Amazon. The problem with Peruvian gold mines is that many of them are located at the top of mountains, and the mountains and land in the surrounding area are affected by the mining processes. 5. South Africa – 190,000 kilograms The number one gold producing country in the entire content of Africa is South Africa, coming in at 190,000 kilograms per year. Perhaps the most amazing thing about South Africa’s gold mining is that there is still more than 6,000 tons left to be uncovered.

In fact, until 2006, South Africa was considered the largest producer of gold on the planet, and while there’s some lagging behind these days there’s room for catching up. Gold mining in South Africa has been the biggest driving force behind the country’s participation in the global economy. An 1886 South African gold rush led to the establishment of Johannesburg, the biggest city in the country today. 4. Russia – 200,000 kilograms With roughly ⅙ of the world’s landmass, it is not surprising that Russia would be chalk-full of gold. Over 5,000 tons are still sitting, mostly untouched, in the far eastern reaches of Siberia and beyond, but Russia has also been steadily importing gold to feed its seemingly insatiable appetite for the shiny stuff: in 2012, it imported roughly 5% again of its then-reserves of over 900 tons of gold sitting in the bank. Whether sitting in the bank or under ground, Russia surely likes its gold. 3.

United States – 237,000 kilograms Topping the Russians are their Cold War rival: the United States, the third-ranked producers of gold at current rates. While its mines are mostly in Nevada (nearby to Las Vegas–a strange coincidence of shimmering city with shimmering metal) and Montana, most of its gold sits in vaults under New York City, Fort Knox, and elsewhere. Over 8,000 tons of gold are held in these vaults by the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department; the totals are equivalent to 75% of total foreign reserves. The current high production figures are due to the reopening of once defunct mines in Montana as gold prices have spiralled up in recent years. Read more: World Airline Fleets: Top 10 Aviation Armadas With Most Airplanes 2. Australia – 270,000 kilograms The miners down under have been working steadily under their barren soils to yield a massive haul and earn second place on the list with 270,000 kilograms of gold. Two thirds of the total comes from mines in Western Australia, based out of Perth.

The largest open mine on the continent, named the Golden Mile, leads the nation in production of this valuable export, which earns Australia $14 billion per year. In addition to roughly 7,400 tons of unmined reserves, Australia holds around 80 tons of gold or 9.3% of its foreign reserves. 1. China – 355,000 kilograms Topping this list as it tops so many others, China mines almost ⅓ more than the next closest competitor. In addition to taking top honors as producer, China is the number one consumer of gold, befitting a country whose development has pulled hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Most mines sit in Shandong Province , located midway between Beijing and Shanghai, and roughly one fifth of output is controlled by the China National Gold Group. Despite its vast gold mines, only 1,000 tons are held as reserve–a massive amount by most standards but a mere 1.7% of its foreign holdings.

Over 1,900 tons are still sitting in the ground, although they are fast going: its annual pace has risen over 10% and seems, if anything, likely to pick up with higher gold prices. Mining and minerals in South Africa Mining and minerals in South Africa Mining and minerals in South Africa 16 Aug 2012 Junior and small-scale mining Mineral wealth South Africa’s total reserves remain some of the world’s most valuable, with an estimated worth of R20.3-trillion ($2.5-trillion). Overall, the country is estimated to have the world’s fifth-largest mining sector in terms of GDP value. It has the world’s largest reserves of manganese and platinum group metals (PGMs), according to the US Geological Survey , and among the largest reserves of gold, diamonds, chromite ore and vanadium. With South Africa’s economy built on gold and diamond mining, the sector is an important foreign exchange earner, with gold accounting for more than one-third of exports. In 2009, the country’s diamond industry was the fourth largest in the world. South Africa is also a major producer of coal, manganese and chrome.

There is considerable potential for the discovery of other world-class deposits in areas yet to be exhaustively explored. South Africa’s prolific mineral reserves include precious metals and minerals, energy minerals, non-ferrous metals and minerals, ferrous minerals, and industrial minerals. Given its history and mineral wealth, it is no surprise that the country’s mining companies are key players in the global industry. Its strengths include a high level of technical and production expertise, and comprehensive research and development activities. World-class primary processing facilities work with carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium, gold and platinum. South Africa is also a world leader of new technologies, such as a ground-breaking process that converts low-grade superfine iron ore into high- quality iron units. Contribution to the economy With the growth of South Africa’s secondary and tertiary industries, the relative contribution of mining to South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) has declined over the past 10 to 20 years. Nonetheless, the industry is continually adapting to changing local and international world conditions, and remains a cornerstone of the economy, making a significant contribution to economic activity, job creation and foreign exchange earnings. Mining and its related industries are critical to South Africa’s socio-economic development.

The sector accounts for roughly one-third of the market capitalisation of the JSE, and continues to act as a magnet for foreign investment in the country. Mining, according to the Chamber of Mines: Creates one million jobs (500 000 direct and 500 000 indirect). Accounts for about 18% of GDP (8.6% direct, 10% indirect and induced). Is a critical earner of foreign exchange at more than 50%. Accounts for 20% of investment (12% direct). Attracts significant foreign savings (R1.9-trillion or 43% of value of JSE). Accounts for 13.2% of corporate tax receipts (R17-billion in 2010) and R6-billion in royalties. Accounts for R441-billion in expenditures, R407-billion spent locally. Accounts for R78-billion spent in wages and salaries. Accounts for 50% of volume of Transnet’s rail and ports. Accounts for 94% of electricity generation via coal power plants. Takes 15% of electricity demand. About 37% of the country’s liquid fuels via coal.

The chamber says total mining expenditure in 2010 was R441-billion, of which: R228.4-billion was spent on purchases and operating costs (timber, steel, explosives, electricity, transport, uniforms, etc. R78.4-billion went on salaries and wages for mine employees. R49-billion on Capex (the lifeblood of mining). R17.1-billion in tax. R16.2-billion in dividends (only 3.7% of total). R38-billion on depreciation and impairments. R13-billion on interest to the banks. Of this, R409-billion (92%) was spent locally, and the spending multipliers created as much economic value and jobs as the direct mining sector contributed. In addition, the listed mining companies represent more than 30% of the market capitalisation of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. There are other contributions to the economy: extraction-related industries are a key driver of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, representing 42%, or R1.9-trillion, of its value. Mining also provides the feedstock for about 94% of the country’s electricity generating capacity.

The value of total sales increased by 24.8% to R302.2-billion ($37-billion) in 2010, and the three top-selling minerals – PGMs, coal and gold – accounted for 66.3% of total mineral sales. South Africa’s mineral reserves are well-mapped, but despite having the world’s largest in situ value of mineral resources, the country only accounts for 3% of total greenfield mining projects planned for the next decade. Beneficiation and other policies In the 2011/12 Fraser Institute Survey, South Africa was ranked 54th out of 93 countries and provinces (from 67th out of 79 the year before). The Fraser Institute, a leading Canadian think tank, measures the policy attractiveness of mining destinations by polling mining company executives. Lucrative opportunities exist for downstream processing and adding value locally to iron, carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium, PGMs and gold. A wide range of materials is available for jewellery, other than gold, platinum and diamonds; there is also tiger’s eye, and many other semiprecious stones.

For this purpose, the government has developed a minerals beneficiation strategy as a key area for potential growth. It is planned to transform the industry from being largely resource-based to knowledge-based. Downstream activities are already well-developed, and downstream products from the industry used locally include cement, steel, liquid fuels, electricity, polymers and plastics, with an estimated total sales value of R200- billion ($24.6-billion). South Africa’s beneficiation strategy compliments other government programmes, and the mining industry value chain has been prioritised as an economic growth node in the New Growth Path, which highlights a path for the industry out of its depression until 2020. Download a copy of the New Growth Path The Mining Industry Growth Development and Employment Task Team (Migdett) was established at the height of the global financial crisis in 2008, with stakeholders from the government, industry, and labour. They committed to achieve two critical outcomes: to help the industry manage the negative effects of the global economic crisis and to save jobs; and to position the industry for growth and transformation in the medium to long term. Other relevant policies targeting growth in the mining industry include: The Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP 2).

Black economic empowerment By the end of 2011, South Africa’s mining industry was the largest contributor of economic transformation, with broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) deals worth R150-billion completed. Black economic empowerment targets apply to all companies in the country, meaning a certain percentage of local assets must be sold to black South Africans. But with black ownership of the mining sector at 8.9% in 2009 – well below the target of 15% by 2007 – the government is putting significant pressure on mines to reach the next target of 26% by 2014. Nationalisation The nationalisation debate holds sway over the industry and investment in it, despite the government and the ruling African National Congress repeatedly stating that nationalisation of mines is not policy. The party’s Youth League and other groups have called for mines to be nationalised, and there are ongoing debates about licences, royalties and ownership. In August 2012, President Jacob Zuma told a meeting of diplomats that South Africa had rejected the proposal of a blanket nationalisation of mines, and would instead focus on proposals that sought to ensure the country benefitted more from mining without disrupting the sector.

State involvement could take the form of part ownership or full ownership of mines for selected minerals to help drive development programmes. There is also a proposal for a tax on windfall profits on mining. Zuma said this would help facilitate economic growth and employment creation. A final policy is expected to be adopted for implementation in December. See also: Nationalising mines not on the table, says Mining Minister Junior sector and small-scale mining The junior mining sector in South Africa was born of new legislation in the form of the Mining and Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2006. The law enforced a “use it or lose it” principle, stipulating that mining rights not used by mining companies to exploit minerals in the ground would revert back to the state. Unused mining rights held by mining groups, but not used for years, were awarded to newly established junior companies that showed themselves to be true mining entrepreneurs. The Nedbank South African Junior Mining and Exploration Index, established in September 2006, provides a measure of performance of all the South African listed junior mining and exploration stocks, excluding oil and gas. To meet investor demand for a tradeable entry into these shares, a derivative version of this index was launched a few months later.

The Nedbank South African Junior Mining & Exploration Index Excluding Dual Listed Shares (NSJMEX) was constructed mainly to satisfy forex regulations of the Reserve Bank regarding constraints on inward dual listed shares and derivative products. Listings from all the JSE’s boards qualify, but Top40 Index constituents (or similar-sized stocks) and companies controlled by other JSE-listed companies, are excluded. The index was designed as a performance benchmark and, because of low liquidity, it is not recommended for use as an investable product. The Department of Mineral Resources believes small-scale mining has an important role to play in community upliftment, job creation and poverty alleviation. It is developing a new approach to maximise the impact of small-scale mining, with particular focus on poverty nodal points with mining potential, intended to contribute meaningfully towards the livelihood of these communities. There are many challenges, however, such as a lack of access to finance and markets, shortage of skills and inadequate or non-compliance with regulatory requirements.

Historically, small-scale mining has comprised mainly alluvial diamond and in-land salt mining, but more recently the bulk of the demand for small-scale mining ventures has been associated with industrial commodities, such as slate, sand, clay, sandstone, dolerite and granites for the production of infrastructural development products such as tiles, clay and cement bricks, aggregates. These activities should not be confused with illegal mining, which is mining in the absence of land rights, mining licence, exploration or mineral transportation permit or of any document that could legitimate the on-going operations. Illegal mining by single individuals or groups in abandoned mines is an ongoing hazard. Environmentally responsible Through the implementation of more stringent regulations, South Africa’s mining industry has become safer as well as more socially and environmentally conscious. Companies are required to allow for environmental trust funds and rehabilitation of disturbed land. There is also a R70-million project in place to solve the legacy problem of acid mind drainage. Sources:

Question: In which country are the world's deepest industrial mines?
Answer: SOUTH AFRICA